A HISTORIC EARLY collection of William Shakespeare’s plays from more than 300 years ago are set to go up for auction in the UK — and they’re expected to be sold for between £3.5 million and £4.5 million.

The first folio, which contains 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, is said to be “the most significant publication in the history of English literature”, and without it up to half of the writer’s plays would have been lost, including Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar.

Alongside the Bible, the auctioneers say it has had “the greatest impact on the development of the English language itself”.

The compilation of Shakespeare’s plays are due to go on sale at Sotheby’s in London on 23 May, a month from today, which is the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birthday of 23 April.   

The first book’s initial print run is thought to have been around 750 copies, which prompted the release of the subsequent volumes to keep up with demand, with the books published between 1623 and 1685.

It is thought that the first 750 books would have cost almost £100 to make, due to the price of the 227 sheets of crown paper in each.

The four folios were put together by John Heminges and Henry Condell, who were close friends of Shakespeare as actors and shareholders in the King’s Men, the acting company to which Shakespeare belonged for most of his career.

The four folios up for auction Sotheby's / PA Sotheby's / PA / PA

The earliest recorded purchase of the first folio was in December 1623, when two copies were bought for £2.

The third folio is the rarest of the books, with the Shakespeare Census listing 182 copies still in existence, just over half of the number of surviving second and the fourth folios. It is believed the third book’s rarity is because a proportion of stock was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Born in 1564, Shakespeare is considered one of history’s greatest writers, with his best known plays including Romeo And Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet. He died on his birthday in 1616 at the age of 52.